The GWW Fiction Gallery: Exceptional Short Stories Selected by New York's Acclaimed Creative Writing School

by Alex Steele, Gotham Writers' Workshop, Thom Didato

•A PSLA Young Adult Top 40 fiction title 2004
Each of the stories in Fiction Gallery will hold you spellbound from first to last page, while also exemplifying the very best in literary fiction. Grouped in sections that follow the cycle of life, these stories explore the varied aspects of human existence and, cumulatively, form the satisfying dramatic arc of a novel.
The authors range from the acknowledged masters of short fiction - Anton Chekhov, Dorothy Parker, John Cheever, Raymond Carver, T.C. Boyle, Jhumpa Lahiri - to the very best of today's emerging writers. As a bonus, the anthology includes interviews with T.C. Boyle and Jhumpa Lahiri, in which they illuminate the process of creating a short story.
Aspiring writers who enjoyed Gotham Writers' Workshop previous book, Writing Fiction , will also find this anthology an invaluable source of inspiration and instruction.
Praise for Writing Fiction :
"The writing is fresh and full of concrete advice."- Publishers' Weekly
" It's an incredible book, not just for the aspiring writer but for the ardent reader as well." - Michael Ray, Senior Editor, All-Story
"This book has a vividness that somehow captures the excitement and fellowship in good writers' workshops. I've clearly found a new book to use in my own writing classes. A fine guide."-Chuck Kinder, Writing Program Director, University of Pittsburgh
"The strength of this book is its It explains all the basics of writing fiction in a simple, easy-to-understand manner that doesn't intimidate."- The Writer Magazine
Gotham Writers' Workshop is America's leading private creative writing school, offering classes in New York City and on the web at www.WritingClasses.com. The school's interactive online classes, selected "Best of the Web" by Forbes, have attracted thousands of aspiring writers from across the United States and more than sixty countries.
Also

Genres: Short Stories, Writing, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Anthologies, Short Story Collection, Family

386 pages, Paperback

First published August 21, 2004

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best short story collections I've read. Invariably, most anthologies contain a few duds, but not so here. Sure, there are some stories I liked more than others, but that will always be the case when there are 20+ stories to read. Instead, and much to my surprise, I liked every single one of these stories, and loved many. The difference, I believe, is that this collection groups clutches of stories into various cycles of life -- Starting Out, Longings, Those We Know, The Job, Strangeness, and Sunset. As such, the editors weren't encumbered by finding the "latest and greatest" short stories (or worse, stories that satisfied the narrow aesthetic and/or political correctness of a single editor). Here, the editors instead included stories that spoke eloquently and powerfully to each life stage, delivering poignant human truths that too much modern fiction lacks. Standouts for me included:

A Trifle from Life, Anton Chekov
Going for the Orange Julius, Myla Goldberg
Labors of the Heart, Claire Davis
After the Plague, T.C. Boyle
Here We Are, Dorothy Parker
The Swimmer, John Cheever

The three interviews with T.C. Boyle, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Hannah Tinti also brought interesting perspectives to their respective stories.

Nice job, Gotham Writers'. I enjoyed the ride.

[Upasana · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delectable collection! A really good sample of the classics of the (woefully underrated) short story art form.

I was most captured by "Going for the Orange Julius" for its (personally relatable) theme and, like, the most perfect last line; "The Third and the Final Continent" for its whimsy (and also personal relatability) ; "The next building I plan to bomb" for its delicious disturbia; and "The Book of Sand" for the exemplary surrealist work that it is. "After the Plague" was too...close for comfort...giving current realities, but I hope to enjoy rereading it someday many years from now.

Overall a collection I will treasure.

[Nina Milton · Rating 4 out of 5]

GOTHAM WRITERS' WORKSHOP FICTION GALLERY (Bloomsbury) is a wonderful array of US short stories, each with a summary and author's notes. There are some old favourites, but lots of new (to me) stories too. A definite must for the short story reader.
I think my favourite story in the collection is GOING FOR THE ORANGE JULIUS by MYLA GOLDBERG – it's a close run thin, but to narrow it down, Going for the Orange Julius is my all-time favourite short story set in a mall. It’s the story of Carrie, who is being looked after by her grandmother right now. Prepubescent Carrie is the narrator, an essential factor in the success of the story. Choosing the right point of view is a crucial decision; although this story is almost as much about ancient loose woman Grandma, it would be very different if it had been narrated by her. Note here, how Goldberg uses repetition to get close to Carrie’s young mind:
…It’s not about looking good. If you’re just looking good, you’ll probably be able to get a cone or a soft pretzel, but definitely not an Orange Julius.
“Carrie,” Grandma says to me as we walk into the mall, “are you feeling like a lady?” The ceiling of the mall when you first walk in has mirrors on it, so you can see yourself and whoever you’re with.
“Yeah, Grandma,” I say back. “I’m feeling like a lady.”
Then we both look up at the ceiling so we can see each other and Grandma says,
“Well, here we are, two ladies going out to see the world.”
Grandma only wears real gold and keeps her cigarettes in a genuine leather cigarette pack holder…

The Gotham Writer's Workshop must buzz when the members get together, because their choice of short story really is…choice.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most inspiring short story collections I own.

[Cassidy Queerface · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of stories. Probably my favorite collection of short stories I've read. I particularly like that they divided them into themes rather than alphabetical by author.

[Fran Friel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic short stories for study of multiple styles, POV, voice, etc. A must have companion to the Gotham Writers' Guide.

[Ali M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an outstanding collection of short stories. I was intrigued when Alexander Steele wrote in his introduction that the stories were selected because of their good old fashioned story telling. I was also a little dubious. Short stories have a reputation for being literary and arty, which can be fine sometimes, but a little daunting when starting out a whole book. I was not disappointed however, every story in this collection was great. Each was very different in style, the topics were varied, and the writing always wonderful.

I did struggle with the overt racism in ZZ Packer’s “Brownie’s” but I’m still thinking about it, it was so well written, and the story was so good. I laughed so hard at “Walking into the Wind,” that my ribs hurt. Other stand-outs for me were “Going for the Orange Julius,” “After the Plague,” and “Home Sweet Home.”

If you like short stories this is a great book, if you are looking to try something new then I highly recommend this.

[Cal Bowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the book that I wish I would have read first. Everything that I have ever read about writing is within these pages. It is not entertaining, but it is information-full. In better times, this would be the go-to book for writers, but in our current lifetime, we want to be entertained in everything we do, including learning. This does not make the book a bad purchase, but this should be at the beginning of your journey, not the middle.

[Bilet · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this book. I am halfway through but so far all the stories have made me turn the page more. It opened my eyes on the best of short stories and allow me to cast my net on a wider ocean of short story seas then learn, the variety enthralled me.. as they say, when a story is good, its just good. :)

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased the book because it was a good buy not because I was using it to learn how to write fiction. The short stories are a refreshing change from a novel read. All the stories are well written. It's my go to book for Vintage Summer reading.

[Mary Jo]

Loved this! The stories were varied. Entertaining and thought provoking.

If you like well written short stories, get a copy and start reading. And don't miss a one of them!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible collection of short stories, many of them just out-and-out masterpieces. Included are the usual authorities on the form: Chekov, Cheever, Carver, Chopin (hey, look! They all have last names beginning with the letter C!). The book was organized across themes, from childhood to love to friends and family to the job to strangeness (the weakest section of the bunch, go figure) to finally, tragically, "sunset." The book introduced me to a lot of jaw-dropping talent: ZZ Packer, Hannah Tinti, Thom Jones, Myla Goldberg, Ethan Canin, Frank O'Connor, Claire Davis, and John O'Farrell. I plan to explore them each in depth. 2016 is going to be a great reading year.

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is recommended for those taking the GWW Intro to Fiction Class, which I am currently taking. For the most part, I enjoyed all the stories. Of course, some I enjoyed more than others. I did learn alot about the craft of fiction by reading these with an eye towards how they were written. The website at GWW has a little information on each story that increased my knowledge and enjoyment of the book. My favorite story was the last one written by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

[Sharry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never been a big fan of short stories. It always feels like the stories are ending just as I'm getting to know the characters. Gotham Writers' Workshop, however, put together a collection well worth reading. I picked it up as a way to study the format and structure of short stories, but I found myself enjoying reading one or two before bed. It's an interesting and eclectic collection.

[Angella · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some really great stories in here. One of the best was Daniel Orozco's "Orientation".

[Dhruv · Rating 4 out of 5]

frequent travel has made me rediscover the short story...odd that literary form that is actually quite dated is so relevant and convenient today.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stellar examples of fine short story writing. Designed to teach, as well as entertain.

[Don]

Holy Moses! I went to put the other Gotham book away, and found this on my shelf--forgot that I'd bought this some time ago, also on the cheap, at the campus store.

[Amar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great variety of styles in this short story collection. Enjoyed hopping from one author to the next and found some highly original pieces.

[Andy Glasser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent collection of short stories.

[Teddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never really read collections of short stories before, so this was great. Its some of the best published short stories, and it was very helpful to me in my own writing process of my short story.

[Linda Nichols]

Working my way through it slowly but it has been helpful and insightful, in my quest to become a better writer.

[Jessie Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very practical and with great examples from popular fictions.

[Francisco Becerra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine collection of amazing short stories. A must.

[Emily Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection.

[Tim Suddeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book on the craft and work of writing. Great examples from good writers.

[Amanda]

Lost interest.

[Rich DeSpagna · Rating 4 out of 5]

point1.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly helpful, as an introduction and a reference book.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some really hard hitting, well written short pieces. Would recommend to anyone.